This invention relates to an infrared aircraft lighting system designed for use in connection with night vision goggles. Specifically, the invention is directed to an infrared beacon lighting system for installation between an existing visible light beacon on an aircraft without requiring modification of either the aircraft structure or the existing visible light beacon.
When operating aircraft at night, particularly in a covert operation where the normal or visible aircraft lighting system is turned off, it is desirable to have some type of lighting system that permits a pilot to know the exact position of other nearby aircraft. Infrared lighting systems are ideally suited for this purpose since they are not visible to the naked eye, but such lighting systems may be clearly seen by anyone using night vision goggles, which are designed to intensify the light in the infrared spectrum and display the images in visible light to the wearer.
Infrared lighting systems have been installed on aircraft for this purpose, but prior art systems have not proved entirely satisfactory. In one prior art system, the infrared lamps were installed on the upper surface of a visible light beacon, but this requires modification of that beacon, and if it has to be serviced or repaired, then the infrared lighting system will be removed at the same time. Since the infrared lighting systems require far less frequent maintenance than the normal visible light beacon, this results in an inefficient use of material. Further, this will result in the infrared system not be available for use unless another, similarly modified, beacon is installed in its place during the maintenance procedure.
The installation of an infrared lighting system on an aircraft ought to be accomplished without requiring extensive modifications to either the aircraft structure or to the existing visible light beacon system.